Augusta restaurant raises more than $12,000 for family of Winthrop teen who died suddenly

Kelsey Stoneton, 17, of Winthrop, died of a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage of arteries in her lungs.

By Beth Jones, CBS 13

Posted Aug. 08, 2014, at 3:13 p.m.

AUGUSTA, Maine — Hundreds of people lined up at Augusta’s Red Barn restaurant on Thursday night, not just for food but to honor the memory of Kelsey Stoneton and support her family.

Stoneton, 17, died Saturday morning of a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage of arteries in her lungs. Her funeral was Thursday.

Fifty percent of sales at the Red Barn on Thursday were donated to Stoneton’s family, some of whom were at the restaurant on Thursday evening.

The staff at the Red Barn restaurant and residents of Winthrop, where Stoneton lived, as well as surrounding communities have rallied behind the Stoneton family as they try to cope with the sudden and terrible loss.

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She was one of the top five students in her class at Winthrop High School and captain of the field hockey team.

Staff and customers at the Red Barn say they wanted to help the family in any way they could. According to Red Barn’s Facebook page, a total of $12,000 was raised in Stoneton’s memory in only four hours.